New Jersey Forest Fire Service

Establishment and development

Before the twentieth century, very little effort was made to control wildfires in New Jersey. According to reports of the state geologist, wildland fires in the Pine Barrens of South Jersey often burned 70,000 to 100,000 acres in any given year. In 1893, The New York Times reported "every year brings a reign of terror to the people living on and about the pine lands, and each year from $1,000,000 to $2,000,000 worth of property is destroyed by fire". In an 1896 report, state geologist John Conover Smock estimated New Jersey's loss in timber at a million dollars annually over the previous twenty years and that forest fire was also "a source of great danger to the cranberry plantations". Shortly after his appointment as chief of the Division of Forestry (later renamed the United States Forest Service), Gifford Pinchot (1865–1946), was commissioned to study forest fires and the best means for fighting them and to "show by actual measurements the loss to the State of New Jersey from forest fires". Pinchot submitted a report in which he recommended that the government make active efforts toward forest fire control to protect forests for the public benefit.

The state legislature created the New Jersey Forest Fire Service with an act signed into law by Governor Edward C. Stokes on April 18, 1906. The law went into effect on July 4, 1906. The Forest Park Reservation Commission, created the year before also at Pinchot's recommendation, regarded the creation of the Forest Fire Service as that body's most important accomplishment of the year. Theophilius P. Price, of Ocean County, was appointed the state's first firewarden. The state asked 81 rural townships to appoint township firewardens and provided them with shovels. Only three fires were reported in 1906, and the entire cost for fire fighting from July through November that year was $5.30 for one fire in Shamong.

By 1908, the Forest Fire Service comprised 99 township wardens, 120 district wardens—respectively paid $20 and $10 annually—and 81 unpaid railroad wardens to prevent fires along railroad right-of-ways. In 1911, the Weeks Act passed in response to a deadly and costly 1910 fire season (which included the Great Fire of 1910 and Baudette Fire of 1910) provided New Jersey sufficient funding to begin regular fire patrols to protect the watersheds of navigable streams. This was supplemented by the U.S. Postmaster General who ordered rural mail carriers to act as fire patrolmen in New Jersey and other states. Improvements in fire detection included the building of a system of fire observation towers, the first use of motor vehicles in fighting and patrolling efforts. Further expansion of fire protection was enabled by federal funds appropriated through the passage of the Clarke–McNary Act in 1924. From 1933 to 1942, during the Great Depression, the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) improved New Jersey's system of state parks and forest for recreation and built firebreaks and fireroads within these tracts for fire prevention.

The agency's capabilities have been enhanced through the use of aircraft in fire suppression. At first, the Forest Fire Service used aircraft to observe and identify fires, beginning in 1927 under the efforts of state firewarden Leonidas Coyle. However, aircraft would not be used actively to suppress fires through aerial bombardment until 1961 when "a Stearman biplane operating out of Coyle Field managed to drop 5,220 gallons of retardant on various fires, at 100 gallons a pop".

Notable fire incidents

Because of nature of the fuels and vegetations within the Pine Barrens, the region has experienced many of the state's significant-impact fires that burned a large number of acres and property. In late April 1922, a fire that burned 150,000 acres (61,000 ha) of Ocean and Monmouth counties also threatened the country estates of wealthy early twentieth-century American businessmen, John D. Rockefeller (near Lakewood), Arthur Brisbane (at Lane's Mills), and George J. Gould's estate known as "Georgian Court" (now the location of Georgian Court University). This fire caused approximately $3,000,000 of damage in 1922 U.S. dollars. In two days, on April 20 and 21 1963, a fast-growing wildfire destroyed 183,000 acres (74,000 ha) of land and consumed 186 homes and 197 buildings. A few residents were killed in the incident.

Several fires in the last two decades have been connected to accidents at United States military's Warren Grove Gunnery Range in Ocean County's Warren Grove. In April 1999, Nearly 12,000 acres (49 km²) of forest, wetlands, cedar swamp and cranberry bogs burned after a Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II from the 111th Fighter Wing plane dropped a "dummy" bomb more than a mile from its target. In June 2001, a 1,600 acres (6 km²) forest fire occurred when an Air National Guard plane dropped a 25-pound practice bomb at the range. On May 15, 2007, flares dropped from an F-16 belonging to the 177th Fighter Wing set off a large wildfire that consumed more than 18,000 acres (73 km²) of the Pinelands and forced the evacuation of hundreds of residents.

Several wildfire incidents have resulted in firefighter fatalities. Over four days in late May 1936, several fires torched 18,000 acres (7,300 ha) of woods in the Pine Barrens, including a fire at Chatsworth in Burlington County. It is believed that shifting winds during a backfire operation took the lives of two fire wardens; and three men from the Civilian Conservation Corps' Company 225. On July 22, 1977, the Forest Fire Service and local fire departments responded to a fire burning in Bass River State Forest in Burlington County located north of Atlantic City, New Jersey. Extreme wind shifts and fire behavior caused units to be pulled out from the fire, but flames engulfed Engine Number 731, a specially equipped 10-wheel tank truck from the Eagleswood Fire Company resulting in the deaths of its four firemen, including a chief and assistant chief. A memorial to the fallen firefighters from the 1936 and 1977 Bass River Fires is located in the state forest along Greenbush Road in Bass River Township, New Jersey.

Mission

The New Jersey Forest Fire Service operates in accordance with its as mission defined in the General Forest Fire Act, and the succeeding Forest Fire Prevention and Control Act which were codified in Title 13, Section 9, of the New Jersey Statutes. It is the state government's policy:

"... to prevent, control and manage wildfires on or threatening the forest or Wildland of New Jersey in order to preserve forests and other natural resources; to enhance the growth and maintenance of forests; to protect recreational, residential, wildlife, plant life, watershed, airshed, and other values; to promote the stability of forest using industries; and to prevent loss of life, bodily injury and damage to property from wildfire and conflagrations."

The law defines the word "forest" broadly, construing wildlands that are "forest, bushland, grassland, salt marsh, and any combination thereof." According to the agency's administrative boundaries map, the Forest Fire Service is the primary response fire service agency for wildfires in approximately 77% of the state's land area—3,719,638 acres (1,505,284 ha). The remaining portion of the state, 1.1 million acres, comprises urban and densely populated suburban areas in which it is the agency of secondary response—called to assist local firefighting services. The Forest Fire Service aims to limit wildfires to under 2,000 events annually and control any property burned "to less than one half of one percent (.5%) of the 3.15 million acres protected, or 15,750 acres."

Administration

The New Jersey Forest Fire Service is an agency within the state's Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) and directly overseen by that department's Division of Parks and Forestry. The Forest Fire Service's administrative offices are located in the 5 Station Plaza building, which houses some NJDEP offices at 501 East State Street in Trenton located one block north of New Jersey Transit's Trenton Transit Center. The service has offices for each of its three divisions at Andover, New Lisbon, and Mays Landing.

Pursuant to N.J.S.A. 13:9-13, the New Jersey Forest Fire Service is led by a "State Firewarden" serving under the NJDEP Commissioner who "shall administer and supervise the Forest Fire Service, cooperating agencies, and such laws as shall deal with the protection of forests, from wildfire". The current state firewarden is William P. Edwards. Eleven individuals have occupied the State Firewarden position since the establishment of the Forest Fire Service in 1906.

Regional divisions and districts

The Forest Fire Service operates over three regional divisions, each administered by a division firewarden. Division A covers all of northern New Jersey north of the Raritan River. Division B covers central New Jersey south of the Raritan River but north of the Mullica River. Division C covers southern New Jersey south of the Mullica River. Each Division is partitioned into sections of approximately 100,000 acres (40,000 ha). There are 29 sections throughout the state. Each section is further divided into districts of 15,000 acres (6,100 ha) to 20,000 acres (8,100 ha) for a total of 269 districts statewide. Each section is administered by full-time section forest firewarden and district within those sections is overseen by a part-time district firewarden. Firewardens obtain qualifications as incident commanders for the roles and responsibilities as defined under the National Incident Management System as a part of the Incident Command System. They are also experienced firefighters who have additional qualifications as a crew boss or training in for specialized crew work and tactics.

Wildfire suppression and prevention

According to the state budget for fiscal year 2016, roughly 43% of New Jersey's land is classified as forested. New Jersey includes varied topography including coastal plains, piedmont, and the mountainous terrain of the Highlands region and the state's highest elevations along Kittatinny Mountain, an Appalachian ridge. Rural southern New Jersey is dominated by the Pine Barrens, a forest ecoregion with vegetation that fuels volatile wildfires. However, New Jersey has experienced a proliferation of residential subdivision and developments in its forested areas. Many of these rural and suburban areas offer a challenging combination of homes, residential communities, and other structures located within the wildland areas. The agency states that a majority of this development has been planned and built without due consideration for forest fire protection. This mix of wild and developed areas is called the wildland–urban interface. The New Jersey Forest Fire Service works closely with residents and communities to educate on matters of wildfire prevention and steps that can be taken to protect property from wildfire risk.

In 2014, the most recent year for which figures are available, the New Jersey Forest Fire Service responded to 1,063 wildfire events that destroyed 6,692 acres. The 2016 budget appropriates $8,775,000 for "Forest Resource Management". This line-item includes Forest Fire Service activities and expenditures as well as those of other forestry programs overseen by the Division of Parks and Forestry. Of this figure, an enumerated $2,559,000 is appropriated specifically for "fire fighting costs".

As a hazard reduction tactic to lessen the potential or risk for future wildfire in an area, the Forest Fire Service conducts controlled burns, also called prescribed burns. This tactic is employed to aid the prevention of wildfires, reduce the intensity of the fires, and also provide a foundation for safer, more effective fire suppression and protection operations. The agency aims to conduct prescribed burns on up to 20,000 acres of wildland each year in the late autumn and winter months between October 1 and March 31. In 2014, the agency conducted controlled burns or prescribed burns on 15,326 acres statewide.

The New Jersey Forest Fire Service estimates (and anticipates) an average of 1,400 to 1,500 wildland fires that occur each year destroying approximately 7,000 acres within the state. Of these fires, 99% are either intentionally or accidentally caused by humans. Unlike wildfires in the Western United States which are more frequently caused by lightning strikes, only an estimated one percent of wildfires in New Jersey are caused by natural events such as lightning. Because of New Jersey's temperate climate, lightning storms or thunderstorms are typically accompanied by precipitation and as a result few fires are caused or able to spread. Human causes include: 17.8% caused by arson, 17.4% by children playing with matches or intentionally setting fires, 13.4% from regular equipment use (cars, power lines, lawn mowers, tractors), 7.5% by railroads (hot breaks, exhaust particles, equipment failure), 7% for smokers improperly discarding cigarettes, 7% from recreational campfires, and 5.7% from the illegal burning of debris. The remaining 24% are of miscellaneous or undermined causes, including fireworks and incendiary devices. Comparatively, in 1895, a report of the state geologist indicated that 49% of fires were caused by locomotive engines and railroads, 41% were accidental, with the remainder being either arson or miscellaneous causes. However, because of innovations in fire-fighting technology and through an aggressive policy combining observation, identification, and containment of wildland fires, New Jersey experienced a reduction in the damage caused by incidents through the course of the twentieth century.

Law enforcement duties and jurisdiction

Firewardens are trained law enforcement officers empowered to enforce the provisions of New Jersey's General Forest Fire Act, and the succeeding Forest Fire Prevention and Control Act. In particular, they have the authority to control and direct "all persons and apparatus engaged in extinguishing fires in forests. They may plough lands or set back fires to check any fire. They may summon any person between the ages of 18 and 50 years, living or being within their jurisdiction, to assist in extinguishing fires, and may require the use of any property needed for such purpose." State law forbids any person or party from interfering with a firewarden or their crew in carrying out their duties, or to refuse assistance or the use of property to a firewarden engaged in fire fighting operations.

A firewarden may demand that a property owner remove an identified fire hazard or any public nuisance situation that could cause or aid the spread of a forest fire. The property owner would be given a limited time to remove the hazard at their own cost, or if he neglects to do so, the firewarden may remove the hazard and charge the costs to the property owner or other responsible party. Further, during a period of drought or high danger of fires, the state Department of Environmental Protection can prohibit access to afflicted wildlands or suspend access to the areas for the permitted hunting and fishing season.

Firewardens often conduct or assist in investigations to establish the cause of a wildfire and to assign liability for a person or party responsible for damages or costs. A firewarden has the authority to levy fines and seek the reimbursement for the costs of fighting a wildfire and for the damages caused. In some cases, these investigations result in criminal prosecution (in cases of arson) or civil liability (accidental fires, negligence). Because of the inherent danger of a wildfire, a firewarden is given the authority to place any person under arrest without warrant whom he has probable cause to believe has committed arson, has set a fire without permission, or for otherwise violating the state's forest fire laws.

Agricultural burning and recreational fire permits

The Forest Fire Service is the agency responsible for administering and issuing permits for agricultural open burning in order to clear lands for agricultural cultivation and use, pruning and cullings, to remove herbaceous plant life or hedgerows, or to eradicate infested plant life (including invasive species)". Permits are also given for recreational fires, such as seasonal campfires, or bonfires at an event or ceremony. Private residents or corporations cannot set fires without first receiving a permit from the Forest Fire Service. State law prohibits the setting of fire to forests and wildlands, specifically "to start fires anywhere and permit them to spread to forests, thereby, causing damage to or threat to life or property, either accidentally or otherwise, directly or indirectly, in person or by agent, or cause to be burned, waste, fallows, stumps, logs, brush, dry grass, fallen timber or any property, material, or vegetation being grown thereon, or anything that may cause a forest fire". State regulations prohibit use of fire in the disposal of rubbish, garbage, trade waste, buildings or structures, salvage operations, or the burning of fallen leaves.

Equipment and personnel

The New Jersey Forest Fire Service is the largest firefighting agency in New Jersey. The agency employs over 2,000 part-time, on-call, paid wildland firefighters, and 89 full-time civil service positions that include professional firefighting personnel (division and section firewardens), forest fire observers, fleet repair personnel, office staff, and other support personnel. All crewmen receive training that includes the S-130/S-190 training courses on fire behavior and firefighting techniques, as well as coursework on human factors in wildland firefighting (L-180) and traffic incident management and safety training (TIMS). All firefighters also obtain basic qualifications regarding incident response and chain of command under the National Incident Management System and Incident Command System provided by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (I-100 and I-700). Further qualifications and training courses are made available to firefighters for continuing education on a rotating schedule in accordance with the National Wildfire Coordinating Group's PMS 310-1 and separate state training requirements.

According to their website, the Forest Fire Service fields "a fleet of 273 vehicles, 23 dozer-with-plow units, 164 pieces of specialized equipment and 6 aircraft for a total fleet of 460." As of November 2012, the agency's fire apparatus included 97 off-road wildland engines equipped with full brush cages and steel plating, 96 of which are type 6 engines. It further includes twelve type 4 engines. Further, the agency "constructs all of its own initial attack fire suppression vehicles". It also participates in the Federal Excess Personal Property (FEPP) program where it receives surplus equipment and apparatus from the federal government from pumps and fire hose to trucks, heavy equipment and aircraft.

The agency often sends teams of firefighters and other resources to fight wildfires in the Western United States as part of a cooperative aid agreement with the U.S. Forest Service that has been in place since 1985. When resources and assistance is requested for out-of-state incidents, the U.S. Forest Service reimburses the state for all costs associated with the deployment of crews and equipment. in the summer of 2015, approximately 50 New Jersey Forest Fire Service crewmembers and wardens were deployed to assist on large wildfire incidents in Montana, Oregon, and Washington state.

Aviation

The New Jersey Forest Fire Service facilitates aerial attacks on wildland fires using helicopters (Helitack), spray planes, and airtankers based at three air attack bases operating in each of agency's regional divisions. The service's aviation branch operates helicopters and planes obtained through the through the Federal Excess Property Program and through government contracting with private operators. However, the service's aircraft do utilize other airports in the state. The three fields owned and operated by the New Jersey Forest Fire Service are:

Fire towers

The Forest Fire Service operates a system of 21 fire lookout towers at locations throughout the state. From these towers—using an instrument called the Osborne Fire Finder, or an alidade, and topographical maps—trained fire observers are able to spot and triangulate the location of possible wildfires. After ascertaining the location, the observer will file a "smoke report" which will be investigated and appropriate action taken by a local firewarden. Towers are staffed with observers during the peak fire months of March, April, May, October, and November, and when wildlands are dry enough to burn. This system of towers staffed with observers provide New Jersey an inexpensive and effective first response system that aids the New Jersey Forest Fire Service in quickly suppressing and in preventing damage caused by reported wildfires. The Forest Fire Service estimates that 25 percent of wildfires within the state every year are first spotted by a lookout.

The first fire lookout towers were privately constructed in the Pine Barrens during the late nineteenth century. However, with the creation of the Forest Fire Service in 1906, the state began erecting towers, starting with the Culvers Station (then called the Normanook Fire Tower) in 1908 along Kittatinny Mountain near Culver's Lake and the Culver's Gap. Many of the state's fire towers were built during the Great Depression by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC). More were erected during World War II, to aid both the Forest Fire Service and to the Aircraft Warning Service, operating from mid-1941 to mid-1944, in which fire observers were assigned additional duty as enemy aircraft spotters. During World War II, the Lakewood Station was "used to listen to German U-boat communications in the Atlantic Ocean 12 miles to the east".